Barefoot Bloggers-Mini Chocolate Orange Chunk Cake

I haven't had any new recipes to blog this week since we've been enjoying some of our favorite standby recipes, penne with turkey meatballs, roast chicken with potatoes and lemon, and easy whole wheat dinner rolls. I did however, make Ina's mini chocolate orange chunk cake which was one of this month's barefoot blogger bonus recipes. I'm planning to make the other bonus recipe, chive risotto cakes, for dinner tonight. These cakes were really good. They would be darling on a dessert buffet for the holidays. The orange flavor combines really nicely with the chocolate. The only problem I encountered with this recipe was my ganache was a little too thick. I could have easily remedied that by thinning it out with some more half and half but I was in a hurry. So, my poor little cakes are not the prettiest things, but that is what happens when you end up finishing these at 9:30 p.m. at night. So please forgive their appearance and definitely give them a try. I made a few changes to the recipe as noted below, based on ingredients I had on hand. Thanks to Lisa at the Lime and the Coconut for picking this recipe. I always love an excuse to break out the mini-bundt cake pan! I would recommend making these a day ahead. The flavor seems to intensify overnight.

Mini-Chocolate Orange Chunk Cakes

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• 1/4 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 extra-large eggs at room temperature
• 1/8 cup grated orange zest (2 large oranges)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 3 ounces buttermilk at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup good semisweet chocolate chunks

For the syrup:

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• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (I only had 1 orange, so I made a simple syrup and added about 1/2 tsp of orange extract after I took it off the heat)
  

For the ganache:

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• 4 ounces good semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (I used half and half)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 6 individual serving baking molds, such as the flexible non stick 100 percent silicone molds.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, then the orange zest.

Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine the orange juice, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately in thirds to the creamed butter, beginning and ending with the flour. Toss the chocolate chunks with 1 tablespoon flour and add to the batter. Pour into the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 30 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the molds on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the syrup. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, cook the sugar with the orange juice until the sugar dissolves. Remove the cake from the pans, put them on a rack over a tray, and spoon the orange syrup over the cakes. Allow the cakes to cool completely.

For the ganache, melt the chocolate, heavy cream, and coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally. Drizzle over the top of the cakes.

Source: Ina Garten/Food Network (note a similar recipe appears in the Barefoot Contessa Parties, however, that recipe is double in quantity as it calls to be made in a full size bundt and there are some additional differences as well)